St. Louis City Revised Code Title 10.20
Miscellaneous ProvisionsPart I

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interest and convenience of the user. These are unofficial versions and should be used as
unofficial copies.

Official printed copies of St. Louis City Revised Code may be obtained from the
Register's Office at the St. Louis City Hall.

10.20.010 Definitions.
10.20.011 Prohibition against keeping more than four animals in a residential
zone.
10.20.012 Prohibition against keeping more than four animals in a
nonresidential zone unless a kennel permit has first been obtained.
10.20.013 Rules to be promulgated by health commissioner--Enforcement,
issuance of kennel permits.
10.20.014 Enforcement.
10.20.015 Keeping of certain animals prohibited.
10.20.016 Regulation of animal housing.
10.20.017 Prohibition against cruelty to animals.
10.20.020 Penalty for violation.

10.20.010 Definitions.

As used in this part, the following words and phrases shall
have the meaning ascribed to them in this section:

A. "Adequate care" means normal and prudent
attention to the needs of an animal, including wholesome food, clean water,
shelter and health care as necessary to maintain good health in a specific
species of animal;

B. "Adequate control" means reasonable restraint
or governance of an animal so that it does not injure itself, any person,
another animal, or property;

C. "Domestic animal" means a dog or cat,
including any puppy or kitten, which is more than six weeks old.

D. "Commissioner" means the Commissioner of the
Health Division of the City of St. Louis Department of Health and Hospitals
or his delegate.

E. "Farm animal" means any cattle, sheep, goat,
swine, except for Vietnamese Pot-Bellied Pigs which may be kept pursuant to
Section 10.20.015 of this part.

F. "Kennel" means any premises on which more
than four animals are domiciled or otherwise kept, must obtain a graduated
business license except for those persons obtaining a noncommercial kennel
permit.

G. Kept. A farm animal or domestic animal shall be
considered to be "kept" on premises if an owner or occupant of
that premises, for a period of more than seven days, provides food and/or
shelter for the animal, even if such person does not claim ownership of the
animal.

H. "Noncommercial kennel permit" means a permit
issued to an owner or keeper of no more than eight (8) domestic animals that
are owned or kept for personal pets, and the domestic animals or their
offspring are not sold or offered for sale or used for breeding.

I. "Owner" means any person who provides food or
shelter to a farm or domestic animal for more than seven consecutive days or
who professes to own, keep or harbor an animal.

J. "Pot-bellied pig" means a domestic Vietnamese
pot-bellied pig.

K. "Research facility" means a laboratory
operated by a college or university in which research is conducted using
animals.

L. "Property located within a residentially zoned
district" means any parcel of property which the official zoning
District Map, as it may be amended by the Board of Aldermen from time to
time, shows as being located within an A, B, C, D or E zone. If a portion of
a parcel is within one of the zones, the entire parcel shall be considered
to be located within a residentially zoned district for purposes of this
part.

10.20.011 Prohibition against keeping more than four animals
in a residential zone.

A. No person shall keep more than four domestic animals on
any parcel of property located within a residentially zoned district, nor
shall any person permit or allow more than four domestic animals to be kept or
domiciled on any such parcel of property; except that any person may keep more
than four domestic animals but no more than eight domestic animals on any
parcel of property by obtaining a noncommercial kennel permit from the Health
Commissioner.

B. Any person that obtains a noncommercial kennel permit
must contain the animals within the confines of the dwelling unit, or if said
animals are taken outside or permitted outside, the animals must be kept in a
fenced yard or leashed so as to prevent running at large. It shall not be a
violation for more than four domestic animals to be domiciled or kept in a
multifamily dwelling with more than four dwelling units if the total number of
domestic animals in all units is not greater than the total number of units.
It shall be the duty of the owner of a multifamily dwelling located within a
residentially zoned district to ensure that said dwelling complies with the
provisions of this part. Nothing herein shall be construed to repeal the
provision of the City's Exotic Animal Ordinance.
(Ord. 62941 § 3, 1993: prior: Ord. 62853 § 3, 1993.)

10.20.012 Prohibition against keeping more than four animals
in a nonresidential zone unless a kennel permit has first been obtained.

No person shall keep more than four domestic animals on any
parcel of property located within a nonresidentially zoned district, nor
permit or allow more than four domestic animals to be kept on such parcel of
property, without first obtaining a kennel permit from the Health Commissioner
as provided for in this section of this part; except that it shall not be a
violation for more than four animals to be domiciled or kept in a multifamily
dwelling with more than four dwelling units located in a nonresidentially
zoned district, although no kennel license has been obtained for the premises,
if no more than one animal is domiciled or kept in each dwelling unit; and,
provided, further, that this requirement shall not apply to the St. Louis
Zoological Park, research facilities, veterinarian's offices, veterinary
hospitals, and itinerant or temporary shows in which animals are used or
displayed. For purposes of this part, a show shall not be considered to be
itinerant or temporary if it operates the same location for more than 10 days.
(Ord. 62853 § 4, 1993.)

10.20.013 Rules to be promulgated by health
commissioner--Enforcement, issuance of kennel permits.

A. The Health Commissioner shall promulgate rules and
regulations as necessary in the interest of public health, safety and general
welfare to interpret and implement the provisions of this part to secure the
intent thereof.

B. Persons wishing to obtain a noncommercial kennel permit
or a kennel permit shall make application therefor to the Health Commissioner,
in writing, on a form prescribed by the Health Commissioner, which shall
contain the name of the applicant, the address for which the permit is sought,
the address and telephone number at which the applicant can be contacted, the
maximum number of animals which the applicant proposes to house at the kennel,
and any additional information requested by the Health Commissioner. No
application for a permit shall be accepted by the Health Commissioner unless
accompanied by a $40.00 inspection fee.

C. Upon receipt of an application for a permit, the Health
Commissioner shall cause an inspection to be conducted of the premises for
which the application is submitted to determine if such premises for which the
application is submitted to determine if such premises complies with the
provisions of this part and of the rules and regulations promulgated by the
Health Commissioner pursuant to subsection A of this section.

D. No permit shall be issued, except upon a determination by
the Health Commissioner that a premises for which an application for such
permit has been made complies with the provisions of this part and the rules
and regulations promulgated by the Health Commissioner, that the person
applying for such permit has obtained or applied for all necessary City
licenses, and that operation of a kennel on the premises for which such permit
has been sought would not violate applicable provisions of the zoning code.

E. If the Health Commissioner determines that the standards
set forth in subsection D of this section has been complied with, the Health
Commissioner shall issue a permit to the applicant. The permit shall specify
the name of the permittee, the address of the facility, and the maximum number
of animals which may be housed thereat. In addition, the Health Commissioner
may condition the issuance of the permit on compliance by the permittee with
additional requirements which the Health Commissioner has determined, with
regard to the particular facility, to be necessary to protect human health,
safety or welfare and/or the health or welfare of animals to be housed
therein.

F. A permit shall be valid for one year from the date on
which it is issued. Permits shall be renewable. Persons holding valid permits
may apply for renewal thereof no more than thirty days prior to the expiration
of such permit. A renewal application shall not be considered by the Health
Commissioner unless accompanied by a $40.00 inspection fee. The Health
Commissioner shall cause an inspection to be made of the premises prior to
renewing the permit. Such renewal shall be valid for one year from the date of
expiration of the former permit.
(Ord. 62853 § 5, 1993.)

10.20.014 Enforcement.

A. The provisions of this part shall be enforced by the
Health Division and the Police Department upon request of the Health Division.
Where an inspection reveals a violation of the provisions of either Sections
10.20.010 or 10.20.011 of this part, the Health Division shall send a notice
of violation, by regular United States mail, to the owner and occupants of the
premises found to be in violation, which notice shall require that the
violation be corrected within 14 days of the date on which the notice is
postmarked. If the violation is not corrected within said time, the Health
Commissioner shall cause the matter to be referred to the City Counselor for
prosecution.

B. The Health Commissioner may periodically cause any
premises for which a permit has been issued to be inspected. Failure to allow
an inspection of a premises for which a permit has been issued, when so
requested by an employee of the Health Division, shall be a violation of this
part and be a cause for summary revocation of a permit, without need for a
prior hearing. If, upon an inspection, a kennel premises is found not to
comply with the rules and regulations promulgated by the Health Commissioner
for operation of a kennel, the Health Commissioner may, after opportunity for
a hearing, revoke the permit issued therefor.
(Ord. 62853 § 6, 1993.)

10.20.015 Keeping of certain animals prohibited.

A. No person shall raise or keep within the City of St.
Louis any roosters, cattle, sheep, goats, swine, except for Vietnamese
pot-bellied pigs. Nor shall any person raise or keep within the City of St.
Louis any canine which is the offspring of the mating of a domestic canine
with a wolf or coyote. The raising of such animals is hereby declared to be a
public nuisance. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the above specified animals
may be raised or kept within biological laboratories, hospitals, slaughter
houses, stockyards, zoological gardens, or an itinerant or temporary show.

B. One pot-bellied pig, per parcel of property, may be kept
in the City of St. Louis, provided that males over the age of four (4) weeks
(28 days) are neutered and females over the age of one hundred twenty (120)
days are spayed. All such animals must be proven purebred lineage, and the
owner must be able to produce litter papers to verify pedigree. Pigs over the
age of one hundred twenty (120) days must be registered and licensed as
required of dogs and cats. Fees for such licenses will be the same as required
for dogs and cats, and must be obtained from the Health Commissioner, who must
receive certificate of immunization from a licensed veterinarian that such
Vietnamese pot-bellied pig has been vaccinated against pseudorabies prior to
issuing such license. Upon compliant of annoyance, the privilege of keeping a
Vietnamese pot-bellied pig will be determined by an investigation by agents of
the Health Commissioner, and if deemed an annoyance and nuisance, the
pot-bellied pig shall be removed from within the limits of the City of St.
Louis, within 48 hours.

C. No person shall raise or keep chickens, ducks, geese,
turkeys, guineas, peafowl or rabbits within the City, and the raising or
keeping thereof is declared a public nuisance; except that such animals may be
raised or kept within biological laboratories, hospitals, pet shops, slaughter
houses, stockyards, zoological gardens, or itinerant or temporary shows; and
except that such animals may be raised or kept where not more than four in the
aggregate of all animals, including domestic animals and a pot-bellied pig,
are kept as pets within any one parcel of property unless the owner obtains a
noncommercial kennel permit.
(Ord. No. 68463, § 1, 11-5-2009: prior: Ord. 62853 § 7, 1993.)

10.20.016 Regulation of animal housing.

The Health Commissioner shall have authority to establish
minimum standards and regulations governing the manner of keeping, raising and
sheltering of any animal not prohibited by law on any premise or lot, or in
any structure or building within the City, as the health Commissioner deems
necessary to prevent nuisances or insanitary conditions.
(Ord. 62853 § 8, 1993.)

10.20.017 Prohibition against cruelty to animals.

A. As used in this section, "animal" means every
living vertebrate other than human beings and insects. All other definitions
contained in Section 10.20.010 hereof shall apply to this section.

Any person convicted of violation of this part shall be
punished by a fine of not less than one hundred dollars ($100.00) nor more
than five hundred dollars ($500.00), or by imprisonment for not more than
ninety (90) days or by both such fine and imprisonment.
(Ord. 62853 § 10, 1993.)